Two Egyptian police officers were shot dead by unknown gunmen in a city south of the capital Cairo, Egyptian TV reported Teusday.
It added that the officers were standing guard at a Coptic Christian church in the city of Minya.
Security forces sealed off the area and conducted a search operation, it said.
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior has applied tight security measures for tomorrow's Coptic Christmas celebration.
Coptic Christians in Egypt celebrate Christmas on January 7.